# Hair damage after bleaching / Can't get hair to grow?



## LadyofAsgard (Dec 14, 2013)

Hello everybody! I'm in desperate need of hair advice and would greatly appreciate any support I could receive on here! This post will be long but please bare with me! I want to give as many details as possible to get the best help..I will also use pictures.

For as long as I can remember I have been dyeing my hair. I am naturally dark headed and my hair is barely a few shades above actually being black. I dyed it jet black when I was young and once that color grew out I began trying other things. I was not allowed to cut my hair when I was younger until I was 17 and I hated that fact, so naturally I rebelled and cut it the first chance I could! By 18 and 19 I was expermenting with different cuts and colors but eventually grew tired of it and wanted to grow it back out again to be longer than before!

This is my hair when I just turned 16. I had already begun dyeing it by then:





My hair required minimal care. I usually just brushed it and occasionally blow dryed it depending on circumstances.

And my hair at 17, first time cutting:





To spare everybody an epic tale with bunches of pictures. I experimented with a bunch of dyeing/cuts, etc. But as I said I grew tired of short hair. I wanted to grow my long hair back out. 

My hair grew out to my bra strap again but I decided I wanted to go blonde a while back, all while in the process of trying to continue growing my hair (I want it to my butt). I fell in love with the way my hair looked when I had it done blonde (professionally) and I kept it blonde for a long time. I got root touch-ups every 3-4 weeks but left the rest of it alone because I was satisfied with how the rest of it looked. I also kept it trimmed.





But it also added a lot of damage in that one time of bleaching it and dyeing it and keeping the root touch ups. Despite loving my hair blonde it was getting expensive and I could see the damage it was adding to my hair. I couldn't grow my hair out like that if it was so damaged..so I decided to start a clean slate and dye it brown. The blonde kept coming back through so I had to keep dyeing it brown 3-4 times before the blonde finally stopped soaking back through my hair.

Here was my hair in June:





Not entirely too bad, right? A bit of blonde still coming through.

Weell, looks can be deceiving. The *ONLY* way that I can get my hair to look decent is by styling it. I absolutely cannot just brush my hair out and let it air dry. Why? Because this is what my hair naturally looks like now:





It's nothing but frizz, split ends, breakage, kinks and waves. I have used professional repair shampoos, conditioning balms, serums, oils, you name it....this is what my hair looks like naturally air dried. And I know I am not supposed to but my natural reaction to tame this nastiness is to blow dry it and straighten it. Blow drying it (with and without anti-frizz serum and a heat tamer AND a diffuser) only tames the majority of the waves. It leaves a couple of waves and all of the frizz and breakage on the ends showing. No matter what technique. So I also have to straighten it to look decent. And even then it still looks like crap! 

This never occured before I had my hair bleached. I know it's all my fault but I never expected this outcome. I have been striving to get my hair to grow but all it does, regardless of trimmings, is break off and split. So I'd like some advice:

A.) Is there any way that I can get my hair to NOT look like the picture above without having to cut it all off? I know I'm just adding extra damage to it by using heat styling products but I refuse to go out in public looking like I was just caught in a tornado.

B.) How do I get to to grow and stop splitting and breaking off, even though I trim the dead ends off?

Sorry for the length of this post.. I really need help. I'm at my wits end! My hair seems like it continues to get shorter and shorter..I'll never get it to my butt!


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## biancarenee (Dec 17, 2013)

Hi there! I too have been dealing with damaged hair and slowly growing hair. Since February 2013 I have completely changed my hair regimen. The biggest key that I have learned is to moisturize and no more heat/dying. Right now I am in love with jojoba oil. That has done wonders for reviving my hair. If you dont like the look of having oil in your hair, I recommend sleeping with it in overnight every so often, with a towel or an old pillowcase over your pillow. Hope that helps  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

~Bianca


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## LadyofAsgard (Dec 21, 2013)

I've never heard of Jojoba Oil? Is that only sold at Beauty Supply stores?


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## megganp2008 (Dec 21, 2013)

Coconut oil. Melt some and apply all over. Leave in overnight and wash the next day. Does wonders for hair.


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## biancarenee (Dec 22, 2013)

I currently buy my jojoba oil from Trader Joes ~ its a grocery store. I'm not sure if that is in your area? You might find some at Whole Foods as well, or other supermarkets. There are some hair products sold at beauty supply stores that are serums, or mixtures of different oils - they  may contain jojoba oil, or a popular argan oil. Although I find that buying from a supermarket and mixing oils yourself is cheaper than buying a hair product.


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## LadyofAsgard (Dec 22, 2013)

We don't have any of those stores here but we do have a grocery store. I'm willing to bet if I asked around I might find something. I need all the help I can get, lol! Thanks!


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## lazycat (Dec 23, 2013)

I am a former bleach-head myself. I love my mane. I am also a bit extreme in my methods but I follow tried and true advice from others after my hair starting fall out / looking like straw. My hair has come a long way in six months. I guess this advice is for someone who's looking to return to their natural hair color and maximize hair health. My goals were to increase thickness, length, and health.

First thing is to remember that bleach and dyes damage hair and change your natural texture, porosity, etc. Bleached hair in particular is dry, brittle, and very prone to breakage. I also found that my dyed hair also was more prone to shedding over time. So the biggest step is to stop all further bleaching and dyes. 

Because of the repeated damage we've done to our hair, we have to treat it like fine silk. That means absolutely no heat styling. I may blow-dry my hair once a month or every two months. I threw out my hair straighteners and curling iron.

We need to nourish our hair. Coconut oil is researched and shown to be the only oil that can penetrate the hair shaft due to it's chemical structure. Overnight coconut oil soaks help restore moisture. 

To help with the brittle / frizzy looking, I use jojoba oil. This does not penetrate the hair shaft, but coats it and makes my hair shiny and manageable.

I was my hair as little as possible (1-2 times a week) and minimal shampoo, but load up on Aussie 3-minute miracle. This is my holy grail conditioner. It's supposed to be a deep conditioner, but my hair is so dry that I used it like a regular conditioner. I wrap my hair in a cotton t-shirt while air-drying.

Finally styling is important. Using buns and braids and touching your hair as little as possible helps reduce friction and damage. It's called "protective styling." I also use silk headwrap and pillow cases when I sleep, as rubbing the hair against other materials can cause damage and breakage.  Also avoid using paddle brushes or fine combs. I use a "tangle tamer" which is a damage-free type of thingy that won't rip or tear out hairs. Rarely I also use wide-toothed comb. I threw out my other brushes and combs. 

The other thing is, which I've been holding out on, is trims every 6 months or so. No matter what I do, the bleached ends of my hair get splits, so these need to be removed, otherwise they can travel up the hair shaft and damage new growth.


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## LadyofAsgard (Dec 27, 2013)

Thank you for your reply. I usually get my hair trimmed every 4-8 weeks to try and tame the dead ends. Thing is, my hair seems like instead of growing it continues to split - so essentially my hair continues to get shorter with every trim. Up until recently I washed my hair every single day and now I wash it every other day. I am a cigarette smoker so my hair gets nasty and also my job entails working with glitter so I get itchy glitter in my hair a lot and have to wash it out. I usually deep condition my hair 1-2 times a week, leaving it on for about 4-5 hours each time with Matrix Conditioning Balm but I will definitely have to look into the above suggestions! Thanks!!


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## naturalbeauty3 (Jan 10, 2014)

I have done a ton of research when it comes to hair. I have suffered from anything you could possibly imagine related to my hair. It has been dry and greasy, and sometimes all at once! I have had problems with it breaking and not growing properly, as well. I learned that problems with my hair not properly growing is usually due to a lack of certain vitamins and minerals in my body. I started taking a supplement which has really helped to ensure that I am getting the right minerals and vitamins for the health of my hair. Take the time to really look at your diet and make sure you are getting enough vitamin E and C as well as zinc and iron.


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## Blondeforever (Jan 11, 2014)

If you still want to style your hair without damaging it more using the hot tools, go for soft rollers. The twisted ones. They are very cheap. They are soft and sleek, so it will be gentle on your hair. Use a little bit of a styling product for some hold and you are good to go. If you leave it overnight the curles will come out even better. I have super long hair and it takes me only 20 min to roll my hair. Try it. And there are so many different sizes of those rollers. You can have big curles or small, or mix and match however you like.


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## SarahNull (Jan 11, 2014)

Try a DIY scalp treatment using Cinnamon, Nettle, Cloves, Peppermint, Black Pepper Oil, and Almond Oil. (2-3 times a week)

And a DIY Strengthening Hair Mask using Soybean Oil, Egg Whites, Cinnamon, &amp; Silk's Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk. (2-3 times a week)

Tame the frizziness with Organic Coconut Oil or any product that possesses Polydimethylsiloxane.

I bleached my own hair to platinum blonde and have endured a similar issue.


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## alisha546 (Jan 16, 2014)

I agree with using natural oils and coconut oil but cinnamon, nettle, peppermint, and black pepper are all skin irritants if I remember correctly so I would procede with caution to avoid a possible inflammatory reaction. You also might find jojoba or other oils in a health store. There is one close to me that has a website too with free shipping but I don't kn if. I can post that?? I'm new. Anyway I totally agree with naturalbeauty3 and experienced the results myself. I had tons and tons of shedding and I now take a multivitamin and it is reduced. I would also recommend biotin 5000mg depending on if you aare acne prone. I have battled acne forever and I started with 10000mg and it broke me out like crazy with huge cystic lesions...gross I know, but so painful. That was about 3 or 4 yrs ago nd about 2 months ago I restarted with the 5000 and have been fine. My mom has been on it for a while and her lashes are much thicker and no longer sparse. Also, what kind of flat iron and dryer do you have? Ceramic of course is supposed to cause less damage but recently I've had own revelation about dryers. I used to think it didn't matter but I have experienced much less frizz and smoother hair overall with the ionic feature. So if you do use tools Id look into that along with heat protectant containing silicones and completely dry hair when using the flat iron (yes I'm so guilty of not doing that cuz I'm in a hurry). I would say also to keep up with reconstructors and protein treatments and masks. How far down on your hair is the damage? Also, can I ask why you weren't allowed to cut your hair?


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## Lucinda Hopkins (Aug 20, 2019)

Please help. My hair has always been my pride and joy. I figured since it is pretty damn healthy, it could deal with some bleach damage. And I figured the master stylist who did all the color-corrections would know how much would be too much. I was wrong, and now I want to burst into tears every time I look at my hair or touch it. I just don't know what to do. My hair has also NEVER been shorter than this and it breaks and falls out. What should I do to regrow hair?


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## Rachel Anderson (Aug 20, 2019)

I regrew my hair and you can too. –I've been bleaching my hair on and off since forever. My hair wouldn't grow any longer it would just snap off. I've dreamed about having thick, long hair. And when I say dreamed, I mean it quite literally. So I decided to do something about it. My friend suggested Biotin when we were talking about my hair loss. I’ve tried like 4 different brands until I found that the best one for me. For me, the best is https://bit.ly/2KiqCge my friends also use this one.


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## Priti_Shah (Aug 22, 2019)

Here's how you can treat your damaged hair after bleaching

*https://www.bebeautiful.in/all-things-hair/hair-concerns/unknown-causes-of-dull-and-damaged-hair*

Let me know if it helped


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## Cosmosis (Sep 12, 2019)

I would suggest you check out MastoorA hair creams I personally use the anti fall one since my hair fell out it is the only thing that stopped it and helped it to regrow. So I just finishing off the tub but I also used their hair butter for my ends as I fried it when I bleached it. I was going to cut about 5 inches off but I used the hair butter they have and only cut 1 inch just to neaten it up and kept my length 

This is the one I'm using 

*Usage*: Hair Growth

*Method*: Apply to the scalp and hair roots and massage gently  (apply sparingly)

*Benefits:* Stop hair loss, Cleanse scalp build up, Kill lingering bacteria

*Shea butter*

Shea butter contains antifungal and antibacterial properties that prohibit dandruff and bacteria on the scalp. Massaging shea butter into the scalp will soothe the scalp and increase blood circulation. Helps heal a variety of scalp problems.

Shea butter provides moisture to dry and damaged hair from the roots to the tips, leaving it healthy and shiny. Because it’s rich in vitamins A and E, shea butter soothes dryness, repairs breakage, and mends split ends.

Shea butter absorbs quickly and completely into the scalp without clogging pores, leaving a greasy residue, or causing a buildup of oil or dandruff.

* Almond oil*

Contains all kinds of healthy ingredients for hair like Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids, vitamin E, and magnesium. Using Almond oil nourishes and strengthens your hair, and is optimal for treating hair loss and damaged hair

*Olive oil*

helps thicken the hair softens coarse hair and promotes moisture

*Castor Oil*

(Great for Moisture/Hair Loss) , castor oil coats the hair shaft and smoothes the cuticle layer, sealing in moisture and leaving the hair feeling soft and silky

*Coconut*

(Great for Shine) great for nourishing the hair to give it a healthy shine and helps to also minimize tangles.  Coconut oil is also recommended for the control of dry scalp and dandruff

*Argan Oil *

(Great for moisture and growth) Stimulates hair growth, softens hair and nourishes deep into the hair shaft . Argan oil has been used for years to maintain long healthy hair and supple skin .

*Onion Oil*

Using onion oil on a regular basis will effectively prevent and treat baldness. Onion oil is rich in sulfur which prevents breakage, split ends and thinning of hair.

Onion oil contributes to having shiny, soft healthy hair.

Rosemary oil

is believed to increase cellular metabolism that stimulates hair growth. Rosemary is one of the best oils for enhancing hair growth, which thickens the hair. 

Cedarwood oil 

Cedarwood oil can help stimulate the hair follicles by increasing circulation to the scalp. This can contribute to hair growth and slow hair loss! Cedarwood can help treat thinning hair and various types of alopecia, too.

*Clary Sage oil*

Clary Sage essential oil can help balance scalp oils. Sage has some similar properties as rosemary essential oil due its ability to increase cellular metabolism. As well, it mimics some benefits found in clary sage


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